I had just recently heard about this series from a link, the art immeadiatly caught my eye as being fantastic. After ogling over the web page for a while, I finally picked up a copy, and let me tell all of you out there, this is the finest american comic book out there (aside from anything by Phil Foglio). The story is fun and enjoyable, the shifting between novel and comic is very original and interesting, and the art... the art is the best art I've seen in a comic (okay, so that's a tad bit of an exageration) but it great nontheless. I reccomend this book to anyone and everyone, this should be required reading! Boy oh boy, this series suddenly just jumped me and I don't regret a thing.

An amazing story about thouroughly interesting characters. It becomes obvious immediatly that M'oak's claim that he has been building this world & it's history mentaly for years must be true. This is a story from a mind that has very few creative limitations. No man could live long enough to tell the tale that I believe dwells in Mark Oakley (M'oak)'s mind. Regardless, I still wish that I could be here to hear it all. The artwork fits the tale perfectly, which is a rare thing. Not since "The Adventures Of Captain Jack," by MIKE KAZALEH went out of print have I read such an entertaining book. Not since Gaiman's "Sandman" have I read one so thought-provoking. Truly worthy of the term "Graphic Storytelling."

Oakley takes a unique approach to comic book-ing: He tells much of the story through sparsely illustrated pages of prose -- allowing him to show-off his skills as a word-smith and his control of character depth, motivation and development. But don't think *T&K* is lacking in action. On the contrary: Oakley's background in animation comes forwrd here, superbly! His action sequences are ploted and exicuted like a cross between *The Mask of Zoro* and Jackie Chan. There's not a simple, straight-forward sword fight to be found.

I have just returned from seeing Steve Lehman's exhibition of photographs from Tibet at the Newseum/NY- PLEASE GO SEE THIS SHOW IF YOU CAN!!! I stood before some of the most touching and moving color, black and white photographs and collages with tears running down my face at the inhumanity and humanity of the disgusting situation in Tibet. How can the United States and other so-called free nations stand back and allow this foul occupation continue to take place? Not only is the culture, religion, architecture, forests, etc. of Tibet being decimated but MOST IMPORTANTLY her people are being mass murdered, tortured and ignored by the "powers that be." (The setting of the show was wonderful also with thankgas, prayer wheels and other Tibetan objects. It was also incredible to be surrounded by all the photographs in one fell swoop.) I was particularly struck by the personal, hand-written descriptions on the photographs which made them even more immediate. One could really feel for the peaceful protestors who were subsequently imprisoned and tortured. I searched their faces and was mesmerized and thought about what each person's life was like now. Even if you cannot stand before the pictures, be surrounded by the injustice of it all, do obtain the book and see for yourself. This is photo-journalism at its finest and most poignant.Mr. Lehman's photographs give ample illustration that more needs to be done to help the Tibetans and now!

When deadly riots broke out in Tibet, Steve Lehman captured that terror in his outstanding photographs. Lehman continues to chronicle the Tibetans' courageous struggle for human rights, and his work is a major contribution to understanding the Tibetan story. -Congressman Tom Lantos Co-Chairman, Congressional Human Rights Caucus

THE TIBETANS is a beautiful portrayal of a courageous, earthy, and spiritual people struggling for survival under the tremendous burden of late twentieth-century colonialism. It is a must read for those who want to understand their planet. -Robert A.F. Thurman President, Tibet House

This has to be the most thorough books on Submarine warfare during the Civil War. Having studied the history of submarines during this period, and having a family connection to the design of one of the Confederate subs, the St. Patrick, I thought I knew a lot about Civil War subs. This book proved me wrong. The detail and depth of the book showed the incredible amount of work that went into the research for this book. It is a must for any submarine enthusiast.

I do not know where to start. This book is one of the best works concerning Civil War naval history that I have ever read. Mr. Ragan has done a superb job and should be very proud of his work. He talks about everything from the more well known submarines to the submarines for which little information exists. This book is amazing and essential for a student of Civil War naval history or naval history in general.

An absolutely fascinating book on a subject much hinted at, but never until now discussed in one book.

The story of the Hunley has been told before, and there have been many hints as to other boats used and operated during the war. However, information has been sketchy. As the author says, information regarding this topic is scattered. He has done a great job bringing all known facts together. I especially enjoyed the coherent description of the Hunley's attack.

I was fascinated at the creativity of the efforts that went into buiding these boats and was amazed at the sophistication of the vessels, especially Hunley and Pioneer.

The Hunley was far in advance of its time. It was a very capable submarine, dogged by human error and ill-fortune. It will be interesting to see if the mystery of its final loss will finally be explained.

For anyone interested in naval history, as well as Civil War history, this book is a must.

Ever since reading Mark Sanborn's book "UPGRADE!: Proven Strategies for Dramatically Increasing Personal and Professional Success," I have been enamored with the word, "upgrade."
UPGRADE! What a positive word! I have used the term weakness, area for improvement, do differently etc., but what a powerful, positive way to look at buffing up your skills, attitude, behaviors and performance.
Mark does a superb job giving lots of tips and techniques to
inspire you to reach new levels of success. In this book, he:
Confirms things you already know
Challenges you to continue doing those things you have done, but for some reason or another, you have stopped doing
Reframes issues so you may see things from a different
perspective
Provides great insight into things you never even dreamed of!
For example, I have always considered writing a journal, logbook, diary or some way of chronicling my adventures. I never like what I write, so I stop writing.
Mark says "Many of the most successful and creative people I know keep a journal. While some may record the events of each day, the majority are jotting down their insights, reflections and information. More powerful than just keeping a journal, I've found, is periodically reviewing one's journal to reinforce the important things one has experienced and learned."
The Upgrade? I now keep a journal of important things that I have experienced and learned. For me, it's very focused. It's full of bullets and pictures rather than stream-of-consciousness. It's meaningful in hindsight as well as in the writing.

This book offers the healthy perspective for the new millenium. Practical to-do's for achieving a more fulfilling life in all arenas - professional, personal and family. Mark challenges us all to denounce apathy and raise our awareness to understand that the possibilities for an enjoyable and fulfilling life are limited only by our attitudes.

Everyone needs to "Upgrade" and Mark Sanborn has given us the time tested ways that the best get even better. Easy to read and inspiring, we read it to the last page.

An extradorinarily fine and distinctive mystery. Noir updated and downloaded. And a savage morality play.
Focused writing. And it has enough secrets that it is easy to be surprised, even when you think you're ahead of the plot.
A cliffhanger, too.
Fans of Coggins' first mystery will enjoy encountering the Riordan / Duckworth team from a different perspective.

Vulture Capital is a well executed, slightly twisted and weird, but completely believable story about the dark side of Silicon Valley's start-up community.

Venture Capitalist Ted Valmont is informed that the brains behind a biotechnology start-up he's funded called NeuroStimix is missing. Without the technology guru, NeuroStimix's future is in jeopardy just as a new product designed to aid spinal cord injury victims is about to come to market. Valmont engages PI August Riordan to help find the missing man and we soon learn that the disappearance is part of a larger conspiracy to use NeuroStimix technology for dastardly purposes. To complicate matters, the missing man is Valmont's buddy and Valmont's own brother, as a spinal injury patient, would benefit from the NeuroStimix discovery.

Co-founder of a failed Internet start-up, Mark Coggins injects lots of local color into his work. Technology-types and dot-com veterans will especially appreciate the Silicon Valley photos and clever quotes, which open each chapter. Settings and situations will be familiar to industry types, but the jargon is not overwhelming. The book is even dedicated to the Pets.com Sock Puppet.

VULTURE CAPITAL is the second in a series featuring August Riordan, a private eye we first met in Coggins' well-reviewed debut THE IMMORTAL GAME (2000). THE IMMORTAL GAME received extraordinary attention for a debut title from a very small press. It was chosen as a Penzler pick and nominated for a Shamus Award. This would only happen because the book was good. Expect similar praise for VULTURE CAPITAL. According to the excellent Vulture Capital Website... we can expect more titles to come in the Riordan series

Witty and fast-paced, Vulture Capital is one fun read. Fans of The Immortal Game will be thrilled with the return of private eye August Riordan, and also the reappearance of his likeable sidekick Chris Duckworth. Newcomers and old fans alike will appreciate Coggins' vivid, stylish prose, well-developed plot line, complex characters, sparkling (and also very funny) dialogue, and the novel's San Francisco Bay Area locations depicted in the author's own photographs that introduce each chapter. I say "Hammet is a Coggins for the twentieth century."

I love this book! It helped ease my back pain. The exercises were easy to follow. I reccomend it to everyone with back pain.

Being a Physical Therapist I have found this to be a great book to give to my patients. It is easy to understand and very informative. The author uses characters to represent different aspects of the spine. This makes it a fun book to read for all. This book educates the person on posture and how to protect their spine as well as help reduce existing back pain. I highly recommend this book.

As a neurologist I have treated thousand patients with back
pain.Medication is sometimes necessary,but exercise is the answer,and Mark Amir and Perry Bonomo/s book shows it all in
a very easy,yet detailed way,simple,yet very profesional,very useful to anybody with back pain.I am very impressed and wish I would have had such book to sugest to my patients long time ago.

The British seem to be particularly adept at coming up with whimsical ideas, making them happen, and then writing about them (cf. comedian Tony Hawk's Round Ireland With A Fridge, and Playing the Moldovans At Tennis or journalist Andrew Marshall's The Trouser People to mention just a few recent examples). Shand continues the tradition, concocting a scheme to buy an elephant and march around India on its back. This quick-reading book is an account of his adventure in India, where he purchases an emaciated 30-year old elephant ... from a pair of saddhus (mystic holy men) in the province of Orissa (a few hundred kilometers SW of Calcutta). His goal is to walk her from the coast to the great elephant market on the banks of the Ganges at Sonepur Mela, some 1000 kilometers north, in Bihar, where he would sell her.

However, as he soon discovers, elephants have a lot of personality, and he quickly falls in love with his. The pleasure of the book is not its travelogue description of the sights and sounds along the way (although these do break things up), but the mischievous antics of the elephant and the discovery of its personality as a loving and lovable creature. Tara, the elephant, displays remarkable intelligence and wit over the course of the journey, although at times Shand does veer into anthropomorphizing her. While he doesn't go deep into the role of the elephant in Indian and Hindu culture, it's clear from his travels that they are widely revered as symbols of Ganesh, as bystanders often often small prayers and alms to Tara.

Shand's own lessons in becoming a "mahoot", one who is versed in the ways of elephants and able to ride/guide one, is an equally fascinating and touching story. An older and younger mahoot are along to train him, as is a photographer friend and two rascally drivers with a support Jeep. It's a fun adventure, with a suspiciously fortuitous climax at the market, when Shand discovers he can't bear to sell his elephant for use as a moneymaking curiosity. It's a touching book in many ways, although some readers may be put off by the notion of a Westerner traipsing around a poor country on an elephant, especially given India's colonial past. Still whatever one may think of that, Shand's love for the animal is clearly genuine. He's written a followup book (Queen of the Elephants), that's apparently not as good.

A remarkable story about one of the few Europeans to enter the mystical, beautiful, dangerous, austere and disappearing world of the Indian Mahoot. Shand writes honestly and insightfully about his experiences on an elephant Trek through India which makes the book all the more refreshing. An easy afternoon read by the fire with your map of India on your lap.

A wonderful, tender and very funny account of Mark Shand's journey across India on Tara, a female elephant of great charm. The reader cannot but fall in love with her, she is such an endearing personality. Mark Shand and I certainly did so. A great yarn of friendship and love between man and elephant. An assorted and unusual crew of travel companions is to be found here as well. But the greatest delight every time I re-read this book resides in encountering Tara time and again. She easily steals every scene which features her. Very highly recommended!

Like their previous work on Windows 2000 Server, the authors come closer to answering all the questions a SysAd has about Windows 2003 than any other I have ever seen. It provided in depth chapters, as well as example implementations in clear understandable language, and with an organizational structure that was easy to follow. A great book well worth the money!

This kind of book is the best choiche to learn about the 2003 server. It is clear and rich of useful example!

This book does an exceptional job of explaining the functions and features of Windows Server 2003. As an administrator responsible for managing many favors of Windows for a major university I particularly liked the cross references to older versions of Microsoft server products. Where functions or adminitsrative tools differed, a notation is provided so I can easily glide between the various operating systems.

The authors provided a straight forward approach to installation and an excellent review of new administrative tools. For anyone concerned with security, the book provides in deepth explanations and practical guidance ... almost 400 pages worth. The chapters on active directory and networking were also stand-out. As an administrator, I also appreciated the quick reference appendix to command line administration. This is a solid winner.

This book cracked me up. I read this in one sitting, and nearly fell off the couch, laughing. The "poetry" is absolutely atrocious, but the book is so funny the "poetic" curses are forgivable. I bought this kit as a joke, and found the helpful booklet to be amazing Stress Therapy.

I didn't really need to poke anyone in the eye--the book relieves your stress with humorous scenarios of revenge, listed in a convenient format which enables quick-reference for various situations that may arise. Feeling Stressed? Yeah, me too. The doll isn't really necessary, but it makes a great statement. Have this delivered to your workplace and open it at your desk, during lunch!

The author conveniently provides instructions for making your own "Voodoo" doll, in-case one isn't enough.

Save yourself thousands of bucks in psychotherapy bills! Why pay big bucks for anger management therapy psychobabble, when you can buy the voodoo kit to help you with your anger issues for ten bucks! The humor alone is worth a dozen therapy sessions. By the way, the term shrink, came from witch doctor, so this one fits the bill.

I went to the voodoorevenge.com website and they ask you to come up with your own voodoo and if they like it they will put you in the next book. You should read this book and you will have a lot of great ideas about how to get your revenge.

There is probably no book in American literature more loved and hated than "Huckleberry Finn". Twain's masterpiece has been reviled as a racist rant; parents have tried to get it banned from school libraries, and people have claimed that not only is the book racist, so is its author. But Twain was hardly a racist; Jim is presented as one of the few characters in the book who has real dignity, humanity and common goodness; and Huck learns to see Jim as a friend and a fellowman. But how does Huck reach this epiphany and who did Twain base his character on? In a solidly researched and fascinating book, Shelly Fishkin posits that Huck was based on two young African-Americans Twain knew personally, one a ten year old boy named Jimmy and the other a young slave in Missouri named Jerry.

Jimmy was described in Twain's newspaper article "Sociable Jimmy", which was published in The New York Times in November of 1874. Jimmy's family was employed in a village inn where Twain was staying, and Twain was clearly fascinated by "the most artless, sociable and exhaustless talker I ever came across... I listened as one who receives a revelation." Twain invited Jimmy to sit and chat, and Jimmy planked himself down in an easy chair and proceeded to regale Twain with stories about his family in the inn; in particular, their aversion to having cats around. "When dey ketches a cat bummin' aroun' heah... dey snake him into de cistern -- dey's been cats drownded in dat water dat's in yo' pitcher. I seed a cat in dare yistiddy -- all swelled up like a pudd'n." (Imagine the look on Twains face as Jimmy fed him this tidbit.) As Fishkin shows, Jimmy and Huck share some key characteristics. They both launch into long family narratives to hold their listener's attention. They both have a visceral loathing of violence and cruelty, and they speak with a remarkable similarity. The are both "unpretentious, uninhibited, easily impressed and unusually loquacious." When we close our eyes and listen to Jimmy, we can easily hear Huck in Jimmy's voice.

Jerry was young black man in the 1850's who Twain idolized when he was himself a teenager, much to the dismay and disgust of Twain's mother. Actually, Mom could be a stand-in for Tom Sawyer's Aunt Polly, who didn't want Tom associating with Huck because he was unwashed, uncouth, and the envy of every boy in the neighborhood of good family who admired him and wished they dared to be like him. Here we see Huck as Jerry. Jerry was a master at "signifying", or indirectly satirizing whatever he held in contempt. There is a lot of Jerry in the characters of both Huck and Jim, who compensate for their lack of formal education with a large store of mother-wit and down to earth common sense.

We don't know if Twain directly based Huck on Jimmy and/or Jerry, and it may be impossible to determine for certain. But there are enough similarities in all three characters to make the point that Twain thoroughly liked and respected both Jimmy and Jerry, and turned some of the best qualities of each of them into one of the most endearing and enduring people in all of American fiction.

This book and her book "Lighting Out For The Territory", have made me reconsider a lot more than Mark Twain's Huck Finn. No teacher of literature or American History should get a degree without reading these books.

The high-toned wording of the Kirkus Review might just turn you off of the this book before having given it a chance... and that would be a great loss. I've read the review three times now and I still can't tell if it is praising the book or condemning it. Ms. Fisher-Fishkin's prose is very readable and this book can be enjoyed by plain ol' Twain fans and academia alike.